are bialetti the only option or are there others to consider??

theyre much of a muchness. I have a cheap aluminium one, works fine.

Only rool though is NEVER put it in the dishwasher, and even I wouldnt use washing up liquid on it. Just rinse and drain. You want the coffee oils to season the pot and not to pick up any soap taint.

yeah – dishwasher ruins em….. i have a mukka which used to make reasonable impersonation of a moka cappuchino…..

Mrs T-R stuck it in the dish washer without thinking once.

now it makes a nice metallicy infused undrinkable thing – even after a couple of gallons of “cheap coffee” being run through it to “season it”

thinking about spare gaskets etc

i have never needed gaskets for any of mine….

im using a GSI Stainless model atm – tis grand.

The gaskets are pretty much standard.

Edit: But given you can buy a stovetop in TKMaxx for less than the cost of a Grande Burno Xmas Cinnamon Dishwater Lattechino Special from Starbucks, I’m not sure why you would bother with a new gasket.

because i have a social conscience

You could weigh the old one in at the scrappies, where it will be melted down and turned into a new bicycle frame for children in Africa.

lol

I have a nice Alessi Aldo Rossi stove-top, but than I wear difficult dark framed glasses and drive a Saab.

torsoinalake – Member

…given you can buy a stovetop in TKMaxx for less than the cost of a Grande Burno Xmas Cinnamon Dishwater Lattechino Special from Starbucks, I’m not sure why you would bother with a new gasket.

sustainability this, sustainability that, etc.

the real reason for keeping your old moka pot going is because eventually, after years of use, they look really battered, and that’s cool.

you win extra cool points when the handles fall off, and you replace them bits of old shed, or fishing boat.

get a Bialetti. Other stove tops are new coke or mini metros.

Bialetti are the classic option but there are now plenty of others out there.

If you are a keen coffee drinker and intend use often then I would recommend that you get one for which it is easy to source the spare rubber gaskets, as these will eventually need replacing over time, depending on use. For the Bialettis, the plastic handles and lid knobs will eventually give out as they are the only other non metal parts. I speak having grown up in an Italian household where stove top Bialettis were used regularly and often to destruction.

you are qualified to comment 🙂

The gaskets are pretty much standard

Pretty much? How did that work out for the space shuttle?
Be serious. This is coffee we’re talking about here..

Just remember to make sure not to make a coffee if the stovetop has been standing out in the cold.

I have three of them at home for various different scenarios.

The quality steel three cup one for just me, the alu six cup one for the van and the alu 12 cup one for when people are over or I need waking up.

The three cup one is by far the better version; no binding or leaks and a lot more solid.

Bialetti is the only reliable choice for induction hobs.

Used a few different ones over the years, none seem to work better or worse than others. Anyone tried the Bialetti Brikka? Have one on order along with a milk frother for someone’s xmas gift, hope it was a good choice!

I picked up bialetti spares at a local kitchen shop.

Don’t buy a cheap one,like my mate did. As it exploded and sent metal and boiling hot coffee all over the kitchen (luckily he was in the other room at the time…) Apparently it was quite a bang and quite scary

I use a John Lewis one, and its great.

Bialetti, used them for years. Have to say we’ve moved to Nespresso as it’s more convenient and has more variety so each of us can have a different coffee

thinking about spare gaskets etc

I replaced the gaskets in ours after a few years, helped the machine to work better but this was mainly as it had been left on the heat too long so gasket’s got damaged/burnt

You want the coffee oils to season the pot and not to pick up any soap taint.

Is that actually a ‘thing’ though, or as much nonsense as the seasoned cast iron frying pan thing?

Aeropress FTW!

@miketually – seasoning a frying pan (cast iron or otehrwise) isn’t nonsense

ill let you have a coffee from my mukka if you want miketually – you decide 😉

@miketually – seasoning a frying pan (cast iron or otehrwise) isn’t nonsense

+1, my cast iron grillit is now more non stik after a few years use than the cheapy tefal one.

Dunno about coffe makers though, living in the SE ours looks like a labradoodle turned inside out (brown on the outside, white and fluffy inside) if you don’t occasionaly descale it.

Anyone tried the Bialetti Brikka

Yep, think it’s a bit better than the standard, but results are very variable – it took me a while to get decent consistency. The “crema” it produces is mostly bubbles, but with a slightly higher pressure it gets a bit more out of the grinds

@miketually – seasoning a frying pan (cast iron or otehrwise) isn’t nonsense

Seasoning it isn’t, but never using soapy water is:

Myth #4: “You should NEVER wash your cast iron pan with soap.”

The Theory: Seasoning is a thin layer of oil that coats the inside of your skillet. Soap is designed to remove oil, therefore soap will damage your seasoning.

The Reality: Seasoning is actually not a thin layer of oil, it’s a thin layer of polymerized oil, a key distinction. In a properly seasoned cast iron pan, one that has been rubbed with oil and heated repeatedly, the oil has already broken down into a plastic-like substance that has bonded to the surface of the metal. This is what gives well-seasoned cast iron its non-stick properties, and as the material is no longer actually an oil, the surfactants in dish soap should not affect it. Go ahead and soap it up and scrub it out.

I used to just rinse my stovetop in hot water, but now I use soapy water. I honestly can’t taste any difference.

Popped in to see Mamma Superleggera and mentioned the discussion about stove top coffee pots, and asked her how many she has. She kindly obliged with the following array of Bialettis:

…then she made us both a cup of coffee.

Yo mamma is an addict!

I have a nice Alessi Aldo Rossi stove-top, but than I wear difficult dark framed glasses and drive a Saab.

Lol, I love your demographic, I’m not quite in it though have I’ve had a few saabs, now have a volvo, have lots of coffee, own 1x turtleneck and live with an architect, does that count?

Anyone know where you can get those gas hob adapters for coffee pots? New flats hobs are not espresso pot compatible 🙁

I have a two (I think it is two) cup Carmencita Lavazza pot.

It is stainless steel and the quality is very good with very nice handle.

If I were to get larger one it will be Carmencita again.

I have four, three Bialettis and one generic, which is never used because it is a one cup. Most Italian houses seem to have a family of them to cater for different numbers of guests. According to Donna Leon’s Brunetti espresso machines are an ostentatious display of wealth and a bit nouveau riche. Mind you the Dutch think the same about electric kettles.

Mine went in the washing machine by accident, came out a bit tarnished. I’ve cleaned it up but am I know destined to have substandard coffee for the life of the bialetti? Can it be saved after a dishwashing?

Costo have a Bialetti, six cups/saucers & a bag of coffee for £18.00.

I have a (well, two) Brikka. It’s great, but the inside of the water chamber is minging after five years of use.

I’d like a stainless one if Bialetti are listening.

Stainless bialetti you say?

clicky

Got a six cup-er. Does one proper size mug, thinking of getting a 10 cup jobbie!

M1llh0use – Member

Stainless bialetti you say?

clicky

Got a six cup-er. Does one proper size mug, thinking of getting a 10 cup jobbie!

I was looking at them at JL the other day which I think are not bad as they are stainless steel and without wobbly handle. Previously, I have seen this same model all over with wobbly handle. I think it’s design problem.

As far as I know the design and quality are not as good as Carmencita. 😀